AP Top 25: Indiana Stays At No. 9 In Latest Poll

Indiana stays inside the top 10 in the last poll released before the College Football Playoff begins.

Indiana's Kurtis Rourke (9) runs during the Indiana versus Purdue football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – There was a time when the Associated Press poll (and the coaches poll) meant everything to the college football postseason.

The polls once determined the national champion in college football, but with the College Football Playoff, those days are long gone.

The College Football Playoff released its rankings that determined the College Football Playoff bracket on Sunday. Meanwhile, the last AP poll of the regular season was also released.

Indiana stayed in the No. 9 spot. Boise State, champions of the Mountain West Conference jumped above the Hoosiers, but SMU, who lost on a last-second field goal against Clemson in the ACC championship game, dropped below Indiana.

According to collegepolltracker.com, Indiana appeared on all of the 62 ballots this week. Indiana's range was from No. 6 to No. 13. Andy Yamashita of the Seattle Times had the Hoosiers highest in that sixth spot. The vast majority of the pollsters had Indiana at either No. 8 or No. 9.

Indiana would have to make a long College Football Playoff run to match or best its record finish in the poll. The Hoosiers were No. 4 in the final poll in 1945 and 1967.

Indiana was also ranked ninth in the USA Today coaches poll.

The AP poll began in 1936 and is one of the longest traditions in college football.

Here’s the full AP Top 25.

1. Oregon, 13-0 (62), 1,550 points

2. Georgia, 11-2, 1,474

3. Notre Dame, 11-1, 1,398

4. Texas, 11-2, 1,346

5. Penn State, 11-2, 1,258

6. Ohio State, 10-2, 1,233

7. Tennessee, 10-2, 1,224

8. Boise State, 12-1, 1,108

9. Indiana, 11-1, 1,052

10. Arizona State, 11-2, 1,001

11. Alabama, 9-3, 838

12. SMU, 11-2, 837

13. Clemson, 10-3, 827

14. South Carolina, 9-3, 770

15. Miami (Fla.), 10-2, 697

16. Ole Miss, 9-3, 680

17. BYU, 10-2, 531

18. Iowa State, 10-3, 401

19. Army, 11-1, 363

20. Colorado, 9-3, 329

21. Illinois, 9-3, 317

22. Syracuse, 9-3, 234

23. Missouri, 9-3, 228

24. UNLV, 10-3, 144

25. Memphis, 10-2, 132

Other receiving votes (numbers listed are points assigned for votes, not the vote total): Texas A&M 75, Louisville 37, Duke 29, Kansas State 9, Marshall 8, LSU 8, Florida 5, Ohio 2, Tulane 2, Baylor 2, Louisiana 1.

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